Observation Society 觀察社

我們用盡全力衝向對方，如果稍為減慢，便不會有意思。

用膝蓋思考 KNEE JERK REACTION

 胡向前個展 Solo Exhibition by Hu Qianxiang

胡向前之前的几个作品(多是行为)，表现出的是一种「无目的」︰比如《太阳》或者《我一定把你开到太平洋》，他的行为看似有目的，但细想之下，却通通是不成立的。唯一成立的是他的”渴望”︰他产生了一个想法，很想实现出来，就像敲打膝盖，腿就必然会踢起，这是自然的反应，仅此而已。

胡在”碎石”的工作室(所谓工作室，其实是乡下一家小房间)，没有多少东西，只有一张床、一把双截棍、几张草稿。墙上贴了一张潦草的字：「我要做一个健全的人」。工作室旁边是一家造鼓的工房，他说，有时候他会在这里住宿，看晚上会有很多大鸟飞来，思考他的创作：「我想通过创作了解自己的思维」。

这两句话是这个展览的注脚。

这样说吧，他的艺术是在”观察”自己。他往往把自己看成一个对立的人，总是跟自己在拉扯角力。他把自己看成一种未知之数，一个需要修补的缺口。自己对自己的了解是有限的、甚至可以是错误。

人清楚知道自己的膝盖如何受了伤、可以走多远、跑多快；而他的思维如何出了错，或者可以想得多广阔、多深刻，他是不容易知道的。他在捉摸自己的”渴望”的形状，为此，正如他所说，他可能会做出很差的作品来。但是我相信这是非常重要的。

--- A.Y

There is a kind of “un-intentionality” in Hu Xianqiang’s earlier works (mostly performance): like in “Sun” and “I must row it to the Pacific Ocean”. His performances usually look like serving for some certain purposes, but if you think carefully, he actually doesn’t have any justifiable purposes. The only thing that is justified is his “desire”: occasionally there is an idea coming on his mind, and he would want it to be realized. Like a knee-jerk reaction, it just happens naturally.

In his “Gravel” studio, which actually is only a small room in the country side, there aren’t many things --- a bed, a pair of nunchakus, and some sketches. On the wall there is a paper with careless handwriting: “I will be a healthy man.” There is a drum-making studio next to his studio, and there are big birds flying to here at midnight. He sometimes stays overnight here to think about things: “I want to understand my own thoughts through making art,” he said.

These can be the footnote for this exhibition.

His art is observing himself. He usually sees himself as an opposite face. He sees himself as an unknown thing, or a breach to be repaired. He thinks that one’s understanding about oneself is always limited, or even wrong.

One can know very clearly how his knees are hurt, Eand how far and fast he can run with those knees; but he could rarely know how things gone wrong in his thoughts. He is catching the shapes of his “desire”, and to do that, as he said, he might create some awful artworks. Nonetheless, I believe that is important for him.

---A.Y

Exhibition Period:

17 May ~ 17 June 2009 (Opening: 18:00, 17 May 2009)

觀察社 广州市海珠区穗花新村一巷8号 Observation Society. No.8, Road 1 Suihua Xincun, Haizhu District, Guangzhou

Email: observationsociety@gmail.com